Abstract
Neon signs in Nevada capture the spirit of glitzy gambling meccas, boom and bust towns, and frontier settlements that dot the vast geography of this unique state. However, many iconic and hidden signs are in constant danger of disappearing as populations shift and the elements naturally break down the physical aspects of the signs. In addition, neon signs in Reno and remote, Northern Nevada locales have remained relatively undiscovered. UNLV has had a long history of documenting the art of neon and has partnered with the Neon Museum in Las Vegas to preserve this rapidly disappearing cultural heritage. Digital Humanities faculty and Librarians at UNR secured an IMLS grant to partner with UNLV to document and create an archive of images of neon signs in Northern Nevada. Taking this combined expertise, a desire to build partnerships and work together to solve problems and adding the statewide priority of piloting collaborative digital preservation workflows, UNR and UNLV committed to a statewide project that resulted in the successful digital preservation of thousands of neon signs from every corner of Nevada.
Author Biography
During the Neon in Nevada project, Amy Hunsaker served as the Fine and Performing Arts Librarian at the University of Nevada, Reno, but moved to the University of Virginia mid-way through the project to become the Librarian for Music and the Performing Arts. Cory Lampert is the Head of Digital Collections at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who directed UNLV's involvement in the Neon in Nevada project. Teresa Schultz is the Scholarly Communications and Social Sciences Librarian at the University of Nevada, Reno, who directed UNR's involvement of the Neon in Nevada project after Amy left.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hunsaker, Amy J.; Lampert, Cory; and Auch Schultz, Teresa
(2023)
"Neon in Nevada: A Case Study in Statewide Collaboration,"
Journal of Western Archives: Vol. 14:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/westernarchives/vol14/iss1/3
